Judge Jerry A. Esrig
Individual Rules, Standing Orders & Policies
- Rules last changed:

Limits & Logistics
Document Limits
Courtesy Copies
Courtesy copies
- Email • Seven Days Before Presentment

Adjournments
- Trial dates are firm. Continuances will rarely be granted and only for good cause—usually involving serious illness (or death) of counsel, a party, or a necessary witness. A motion for continuance should be brought as early as possible and should be supported by an affidavit.
- Discovery schedule modifications require a court order, must not affect trial date, and failure to complete discovery is not grounds for continuance.
- Reasonable briefing schedule extensions are granted if they do not affect hearing/trial dates and are requested before courtesy copies are due; parties should confer on agreed modifications.
Request must include

Communication
Clerk26 contacts
- probatecrt1812orders@
cookcountycourt.com - probatedivorders@
cookcountycourt.com - probatecrt1809orders@
cookcountycourt.com - probatecrt1811orders@
cookcountycourt.com - probatecrt1801orders@
cookcountycourt.com - dwhensel@
cookcountycourt.com
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- snadams@
cookcountycourt.com - beanaele@
cookcountycourt.com - joseph.fleming@
cookcountyil.gov - probatedivservices@
cookcountycourt.com - jlmckay@
cookcountycourt.com - probatecrt1804orders@
cookcountycourt.com - efilehelp@
cookcountycourt.com - probate.divatty@
cookcountyil.gov - (312) 603-6878
- (312) 603-2486
- (312) 603-5694
- (312) 603-7546
- (312) 603-5157
- (312) 603-2591
- (312) 603-6558
- (312) 603-5647
- (312) 603-7229
- (312) 603-5025
- (312) 603-3784, (312) 603-5647
- (312) 603-7545
Chambers21 contacts
- 312-603-5923
- daniel.degnan@
cookcountyil.gov - probatecrt1807orders@
cookcountycourt.com - probatecrt1803orders@
cookcountycourt.com - probatecrt1802orders@
cookcountycourt.com - probatecrt1806orders@
cookcountycourt.com
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- aicha.maccarthy@
cookcountyil.gov - terrence.mcguire@
cookcountyil.gov - stephanie.miller@
cookcountyil.gov - jesse.outlaw@
cookcountyil.gov - amee.alonso@
cookcountyil.gov - daniel.malone@
cookcountyil.gov - james.murphy2@
cookcountyil.gov - barry.goldberg@
cookcountyil.gov - james.murphy2@
cookcountycourt.com - carolyn.gallagher@
cookcountyil.gov - stephanie.miller@
cookcountycourt.com - jamieg.dickler@
cookcountyil.gov - susan.kennedy-sullivan@
cookcountyil.gov - kent.delgado@
cookcountyil.gov - barry.goldberg@
cookcountycourt.com
Page & Word Limits2 rules
No motion, movant's brief, or response brief shall exceed 15 double-spaced pages (exclusive of exhibits). No reply brief shall exceed 7 double-spaced pages.
- Brief
- Up to 15 pages
- Reply brief
- Up to 7 pages
- Format
- Double-spaced
Excluded from page count
- •Exhibits
Oversized briefs are disfavored and require leave of court.
Document Format Requirements1 rule
The font size in the body of the text shall be 12 points and in footnotes no less than 10 points. All margins shall each be a minimum of 1 inch.
- Font size
- 12 points
- Margins
- At least 1 inch
Document Filing Requirements5 rules
Any document that does not comply with this or any other court order shall be filed subject to being stricken by the court.
Briefs shall include citations of authority and, as applicable, a procedural history section. Record citations are required.
Exhibits and relevant pleadings must be emailed with briefs; each exhibit a separate PDF; exhibit list required; deposition transcripts with word index required when cited.
- Document
- Exhibits
Must include
- •Exhibit list
Court's wording
Exhibits and relevant pleadings (including any pleading attacked) must be e-mailed to the court with electronic copies of the briefs. Exhibits may be provided in PDF format. Each exhibit should be a separate PDF. A list of exhibits must be provided for each document that contains more than one exhibit. A Table of Contents linked to individual exhibits is helpful to the court. Where depositions are cited, an electronic copy of the entire transcript with a word index must be provided.
Briefs that exceed the 15-page limit must have a table of contents with the pages noted and a table of cases.
- Document
- Brief
Must include
- •Table of contents
Proposed agreed orders must be emailed in Word format to chambers with case info in subject line, copying all parties, and followed by a phone call to the case coordinator.
Court's wording
Proposed agreed orders may be submitted electronically. Proposed agreed orders are not to be filed. Rather, they are to be submitted to the judge to consider, to modify, if appropriate, and to enter. For example, proposed agreed orders such as stipulated protective orders require court approval before actually being given full effect. Proposed agreed orders must be attached to an e-mail sent to following e-mail address: law.calscc@cookcountyil.gov. The subject line of the e-mail must include the case number and name, and the title of the order that is proposed. All such documents must be submitted in Microsoft Word format (.docx or .doc). All other parties to the case must be copied on the email. Please advise the court's case coordinator by phone (312-603-5923) after submitting a proposed agreed order.
Filing & Service rules
Courtesy Copy Requirements
Electronic courtesy copies must be emailed seven days before presentment; paper copies are no longer accepted.
Electronic courtesy copies are due seven days prior to the presentment date. The court no longer accepts paper courtesy copies. Please email electronic courtesy copies to: law.calscc@cookcountyil.gov.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes
Electronic courtesy copies are required; paper copies are not accepted.
Electronic courtesy copies (see reverse side) are due on . No paper copies will be accepted.
Civil cases
Page 1 | Briefing Schedule Order
Courtesy copies due by the clerk status date; failure to submit may result in the motion being stricken; no appearance required on that date.
Please note that courtesy copies are due on or before the date set in the order. There is no appearance by counsel on the Clerk's Status date. If the court has not received the required courtesy copies on or before the clerk status date, the motion may be stricken. The court does not hear motions on the clerk status date.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes
Electronic courtesy copies must be emailed to law.calscc@cookcountyil.gov in Word format with specific subject line; exhibits may be PDF; email body must be empty.
Each party shall submit an electronic version of their brief(s) as an e- mail attachment to the following e-mail address: law.calscc@cookcountyil.gov. The subject line of the e-mail must include the case number and name, and a description of the attachment(s). All briefs must be submitted to the court in Word file format (.docx or .doc). Exhibits may be submitted in PDF format. The body of the e-mail shall not include any text.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes
Pre-Motion Conference Requirements
Dispositive motions must be presented at least 90 days before trial unless otherwise ordered.
Unless otherwise specified by order, dispositive motions shall be presented no later than 90 days before the trial date.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes
Sur-replies are not permitted.
No surreplies will be permitted.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes
Adjournment & Extension Requirements
Trial dates are firm. Continuances will rarely be granted and only for good cause—usually involving serious illness (or death) of counsel, a party, or a necessary witness. A motion for continuance should be brought as early as possible and should be supported by an affidavit.
Trial dates are firm. Continuances will rarely be granted and only for good cause—usually involving serious illness (or death) of counsel, a party, or a necessary witness. A motion for continuance should be brought as early as possible and should be supported by an affidavit.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes
Discovery schedule modifications require a court order, must not affect trial date, and failure to complete discovery is not grounds for continuance.
An agreement among counsel to waive discovery time constraints will not be recognized by the court unless it is memorialized in a court order. Any proposed modification to a discovery schedule must not affect the scheduled trial date. A failure to complete discovery is not a legitimate basis for continuing a trial.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes
Reasonable briefing schedule extensions are granted if they do not affect hearing/trial dates and are requested before courtesy copies are due; parties should confer on agreed modifications.
The court will grant a reasonable request to extend a briefing schedule if the proposed modification does not affect a scheduled hearing date or trial date and the request is made before the day electronic courtesy copies are due. To the extent possible, the parties should confer and agree on a proposed modified schedule.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes
Chambers Communication Rules
Agreed schedule modifications require a phone call to the case coordinator and an emailed proposed order using the court's form, with all parties copied.
If the modified schedule is agreed, the parties must: (1) advise the court’s case coordinator by phone (312-603-5923); and (2) submit a proposed order as an e-mail attachment to the following e- mail address: law.calscc@cookcountyil.gov. The subject line of the e-mail must include the case number and name, and the title of the order that is proposed. All such proposed orders must be submitted using the court’s briefing schedule order (a fillable copy is available for download under the “Forms” section of Judge Esrig’s webpage on the Circuit Court’s website), and the parties shall indicate in the “7. Other” field that it is an agreed order modifying the briefing schedule entered on [date of previous order]. All parties must be copied on the e-mail to the court.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes
If your case should settle after a trial date has been scheduled, please advise the court's case coordinator by leaving a voicemail message (312-603-5923) at your earliest convenience.
If your case should settle after a trial date has been scheduled, please advise the court's case coordinator by leaving a voicemail message (312-603-5923) at your earliest convenience.
Civil cases
Page 2 | Explanatory Notes